The BEST Pizza Rustica Recipe (Italian Easter Pie)
· Updated Mar 25, 2024 · Published Apr 11, 2020
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Pizza rustica, also known as pizza chiena, pizza ripiena, or pizza gaina, has many different spellings and variations. This traditional Italian Easter pie recipe is part quiche, part stuffed pizza, and a true crowd-pleaser.
With your first bite, you will quickly know that his pizza rustica recipe deserves a five-star rating. It is creamy, savory, and has the perfect combination of flavors.
It all adds up to an unmatched depth of flavor. Read on and then try this; you’ll quickly understand why this is one of our favorite holiday recipes!
Table of Contents
🥘What is Pizza Rustica?
LIke many of our other holiday dishes, Pizza Rustica is a special recipe we enjoy when the holidays roll around. Special dishes like our Holiday Prime Rib Roast, Homemade Giblet Gravy, and this decadent Holiday Red Velvet Cake Roll.
Pizza Rustica, or ricotta pie, is a true staple of traditional Italian Easter recipes. Italian immigrants brought the recipe to the United States, where it became a beloved dish for Easter and beyond.
Traditionally, pizza Rustica is made on Good Friday to celebrate the end of lent. We love the Easter holiday, pizza, and quiche and this Italian Easter Pie brings all of those things together. This recipe has a delicious cheese mix is delicious that is a match made in heaven with a special variety of meat.
From the bottom crust to the top of the filling, it is a dish that everyone loves. We make this all year round!
Common Questions
You can substitute all or part of the meat and cheese in this recipe for healthier ingredients like spinach, mushrooms, onions, peppers, and olives. You can even use roast chicken for the meat.
This can easily be made smaller by using one-half the ingredients and baking it in a 9 x 9-inch pan.
Keep this in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Serve it cold or at room temperature.
What’s in Pizza Rustica?
Usually, pizza Rustica is loaded with Italian deli meats and cheeses, but you can use whatever you have in your meat/cheese drawer at home. It’s a perfect way to clean out your meat and cheese drawer!
This Italian Easter Pie uses a combination of hard Italian meat and cheese, all encased with dough.
For the Dough – We show you how to make your own simple dough or you can take the easy route and use a store-bought pizza dough from the grocery store.
If you take the easy route and use store-bought dough, be sure and pick up 2 balls of it. You’ll need one for the bottom and one for the top.
For the Filling – This pizza Rustica is filled with Italian meats and cheeses, all bound together by some eggs. You can use any or all of the following for your filling in this pizza Rustica. It’s a great way to empty your meat and cheese drawer!
Meats
- Prosciutto
- Boiled ham
- Pepperoni
- Soppressata
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Cheeses
- Mozzarella
- Provolone
- Ricotta
- Pecorino Romano
Substitutions and Variations
This double-crusted meat and cheese Italian Easter Pie is easy to make. You can use any combination of the ingredients for the filling we list above or use what you have on hand. Whichever route you choose, you just need to end up with about two pounds worth of meats and cheeses. Other substitutions can include:
- Chorizo sausage
- Sweet Italian sausage
- Mortadella cheese
- Capicola ham
- Spinach
- Mushrooms
- Sweet bell pepper
Many traditional Italian Easter pies will also have basket cheese and fresh, chopped Italian parsley in it as well.
🥣How to Make Pizza Rustica
(Full recipe at the end of this post.)
1. Prepare the dough as directed in the directions below.
2. Mix all the filling ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Roll the dough out as directed in the recipe below. Line the bottom and sides of a baking dish (springform pan), as shown.
4. Add the filling and gently smooth out the top, so it is even.
6. Bake the pizza rustica for 45 minutes at 350°, apply another egg wash, and bake for an additional 45 minutes.
Pro Cooking Tip – Apply a second egg wash halfway through the baking process.
We hope you try this Pizza Rustica recipe; be sure and let us know how it turns out for you and what you use for your filling. For a similar dish, check out our Italian Savory Pie recipe.
See our complete collection of homemade pizza recipes here.
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The BEST Pizza Rustica Recipe (Italian Easter Pie)
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We’ll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Ingredients
For the Dough
For the Filling
- 12 oz Prosciutto, 1/4 inch cubes
- 8 oz Boiled ham, 1/4 inch dice
- 8 oz Soppressata, 1/4 inch dice
- 8 oz Mozzarella cheese, Cubed into 1/4 inch pieces
- 8 oz. Provolone cheese, 1/4 inch cubes
- 2 lbs. Ricotta cheese
- 4 oz Pecorino Romano , Grated
- 10 Eggs, Large and beaten
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 1 Egg, Beaten, for egg wash
Instructions
For the Dough
- Use a large bowl and whisk the flour and salt. Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter, a fork, or two knives. Do this until you have a mixture of coarse crumbs
- Add the eggs and knead for a minute or two and then slowly add about 1 1/4 cups ice water, a little at a time, until a ball a dough forms.
- Using a lightly-floured surface, knead the dough until you have a large smooth ball. This should take about 5 minutes. Cover the bowl of dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
For the Filling
- Using a large mixing bowl, add the meats and cheeses and eggs and mix thoroughly.
Putting the Pizza Rustica Together
- Preheat your oven to 350° F and divide the dough into two balls. Use approximately 2/3 for the bottom crust and the remaining 1/3 for the top crust. Using a lightly floured surface, roll the bottom crust (larger portion) of the dough and then line the bottom and sides of a baking dish, leaving some overhang. Pour the filling mixture into the bottom crust and smooth it lightly. Use a little water to wet the edges slightly. This will make it easier to seal the top crust.
- Next, you will roll out the remaining dough for the top crust. Place it over the filling and bottom crust, leaving some overhang which you can trim with a kitchen scissors. Tightly seal the edges of the top and bottom crusts and cut some vents in the top crust. Use a pastry brush to apply an egg wash and bake for 45 minutes. Take the pie out of the oven and apply another coat of egg wash and finish baking for another 45 minutes.
- Allow this to cool completely before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Updated from the original post of April 11, 2020.
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I want my pizza rustica consistency to be less creamy, more tending more toward the consistency of the white part of a hard boiled egg. Tips are welcome.
Hi Gene, Thanks for this question. Here are some tips to achieve a less creamy and firmer consistency in your Pizza Rustica:
You Can Reduce the Ricotta: Ricotta is the main contributor to the creaminess. Try using less ricotta in the filling. The recipe uses 2 lbs, you could experiment by reducing it to 1.5 lbs or even 1 lb.
Strain the Ricotta: Ricotta cheese has a lot of moisture. Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth and place it over a bowl. Add the ricotta and let it drain for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour. This will remove excess moisture and create a thicker consistency.
Bake at a Higher Temperature: A higher baking temperature will help to set the filling and evaporate some of the moisture. Try increasing the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) for the entire baking time.
Add Egg Yolks: Egg yolks act as a binding agent and will help to firm up the filling. You can add 1-2 additional egg yolks to the filling mixture.
Use More Cheese: Cheeses like mozzarella and provolone will add structure and firmness to the filling compared to ricotta. You can increase the amount of mozzarella and provolone you use in the recipe, while reducing the ricotta.
Here are some additional tips:
Let the cooked Pizza Rustica cool completely before serving. This will allow the filling to firm up further.
You can cut back on some of the beaten eggs in the filling. Eggs add liquid and contribute to creaminess.
By following these tips, you can adjust the recipe to achieve the desired consistency for your Pizza Rustica. Thanks for reading Platter Talk and we hope this Pizza Rustica will come out to your liking!
Do you have a step by step video of how to make the Easter Pie. It looks very intimidating.
Janine, we don’t have a video for this recipe but I encourage you to just roll up your sleeves and have fun with it!
I’ve seen this recipe in a variety of cookbooks, but have never made it. I have no idea why. I even love the name of it! There’s nothing not to love. And yours looks gorgeous.
Thank you Mimi! Pizza Rustica tastes even better than it looks; be sure an give it a try.